by minimus 11 Replies latest jw friends
When I was appointed as an elder, I was very proud of my accomplishment in the theocracy and actually believed that Jehovah God appointed me and that I would prove to be an excellent Society man and maybe even make it to Circuit Overseer!
How silly, huh??
Fast forward to 35 years later, and I wonder how many appointed men truly love their positions and duties.
Any appointed men want to give their opinion on that??
If an Elder is now removed by the C.O., will that make the Elder dis - APPOINTED?
Just wonderin'!
Elders still love their positions- - it's all about power and being in the 'in crowd.' Now with the COs hand over their appointment, elders will feel thrice blessed. Never met an elder I liked-- they all turn on you in the end when the cult persona comes out.
There will always be elders around such as yourself 35 years ago but I have noticed, at least in my area, that the respect for elders has declined. When I was growing up in the 70's and 80's they were "the elders" respected, feared in some cases. Now so many publishers are flippant, unresponsive, and apathetic and I don't blame them. We were supposed to be in paradise by the mid 90's after all then they changed the generation doctrine what 3 times since then??
For me I remain as such because its just easier to keep up appearances and the wife likes that I have "status" lol... personally I could give a rats ass.
I see some elders who try to do the right thing but it's so thankless! Why bother??
LOSINGIT: Elders still love their positions- - it's all about power and being in the 'in crowd.'
XBEHERE: I have noticed, at least in my area, that the respect for elders has declined. When I was growing up in the 70's and 80's they were "the elders" respected, feared in some cases. Now so many publishers are flippant, unresponsive, and apathetic and I don't blame them.
Yep, I agree. Elders still love the limelight. Plus some of the knuckleheads really believe it indicates that Jehovah approves of them.
But I also agree with XBEHERE's assessment. No one gives a shit what the Elders think or say except the little old sisters that still think they should kiss their ring ass. Most of the R&F and making their own decisions and doing what they want to do, even if it's contrary to "official policy" and it means they have to stay under the radar. But that's not surprising when you consider the calibur of the men being promoted to elders. Thirty years ago they wouldn't have been allowed to clean the bathrooms.
Doc
Some start of and have the right motives to help the cong sincerely try and serve god....then they realise very quickly that their official role is to just parrot whatever they are told to, and there is no room for real Christ like love.
it is typical middle management....no real power...just the illusion of it, along with the requirement to extract as much as possible from those below them....
minimus I truly thought I would be able to make things better for all in the kingdom hall. But I might as well drove nails into my eyes. It would have been less painless. All the things we had to do. Treated like you was being paid to to this. I know serveral retired preachers who get a small pension for their service. And I think boy that would have been great to have gotten something like that. But no I was to dumb and truly believe you had to do all this for free. The system that is set up is to high controlled from the top-down. Don't think for one minute what you hear from the stage is coming from one elder it is drilled into them to follow those outlines to a Tee. If they veer from it you can tell in a instant. It is one of the most thank less jobs out there. Yes I know there are those who are on a big ego trip but for the sincere ones they will be chewed up and spit out. Still Totally ADD
DesirousofChange - "Most of the R&F and making their own decisions and doing what they want to do, even if it's contrary to 'official policy' and it means they have to stay under the radar."
Explains the paranoid rhetoric about "secret apostates" we're hearing occasionally (but more and more, it seems) out of WTHQ, along with the "obey, obey, obey..." mantra.
Authoritarian leaders have repeatedly found that passive rebellion is always the hardest to deal with.
There are still some idealistic elders but they must be the young ones.
